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Buncombe Commission­ers approve incentives­, new hires, zoning regulation­s

At their first meeting of 2014 on Jan. 7, Buncombe County Commissioners unanimously agreed to give $1.12 million in cash grants to Jacob Holm Industries to help it expand local operations. They also agreed to spend $213,726 to hire 17 new county workers at the Health and Human Services Department and approved new zoning regulations governing renewable energy facilities.

Five can-do wellness tips for 2014

It’s that time of year again — time for self-reflection and fresh starts. This year, let’s all make some resolutions we can keep! Lucky for us, Asheville is the perfect place to get our wellness on. Local writer, Reiki healer and wellness enthusiast, Haley Steinhardt, shares some great ways you can support yourself in having a happy and healthy 2014 — Asheville style.

Dancing with spirit: Birth dancing fosters a connection among women

Michelle Dionne, who teaches birth dancing and belly dancing classes in Asheville and the surrounding area, says that giving birth doesn’t have to look like it does in the movies. In classes and workshops, Dionne encourages women to give birth standing up and teaches core-based movements derived from ancient belly-dancing techniques. The goal is to help ease the pain, quicken labor and “keep [women] in their bodies, keep them focused where the action is.”

GMO-labeling activists ask: Are we eating fishy food?

The Are We Eating Fishy Food? Tour parked its caravan of five “GMO art cars” outside the French Broad Food Co-op this afternoon in order to raise awareness about GMO labeling. The vehicles are fitted with 300-pound, roof-mounted sculptures of “fishy”-looking produce. Asheville is the second-to-last stop on the activists’ 6,083-mile journey from Seattle to New York City.

Finding hope: The long road back from eating disorders

For 16 years, Kasey Cramer hid her disease in plain sight. She skipped meals; she binged and purged. When she did want to eat, Cramer experienced such severe panic attacks that her throat would completely close up. But Cramer, one of seven panelists at the Sept. 26 “Voices of Hope: A Conversation About Eating Disorders” gathering, wasn’t ready to give up. “Recovery is possible; it is realistic,” she said.